500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics (Dover Books on Music) [Paperback]

Ronald Herder (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Dover Books on Music | Publication Date: October 1998

Wonderful compendium of complete lyrics for well-known folk songs, hymns and spirituals, nursery songs, popular and show tunes, etc. Includes Oh Susanna, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, Shenandoah, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody, hundreds more. Indispensable for singalongs, parties, family get-togethers, etc.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"What are the words to that song?" is a common question, and trying hopelessly to remember a nagging, half-finished phrase can sometimes be enough to drive a person over the edge. It's a situation that 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics, collected and edited by Ronald Herder, attempts to rectify. From "The Aba Daba Honeymoon" (by Arthur Fields and Walter Donovan, 1914) to "Zum Gali Gali" (Israeli work song), it covers scads of folk songs, hymns, and old-time show tunes. In the case of songs with multiple versions, Herder has chosen, as he puts it in his introduction, "the text that is most memorable, that captures the spirit of the original song the way we remembered it, that is truly 'best-loved.'" However, if the lyrics you're trying to remember are from a tune along the lines of "Proud Mary" or the theme song from the Brady Bunch, you're out of luck: in keeping with Dover Publications' standard practice, all of the included words are out of copyright, and that means they must be over 50 years old. But for Christmas carols, patriotic songs (you'll find all four verses of "The Star-Spangled Banner"), folk music, and the kind of old-time popular songs that accompany vintage cartoons from Disney and Warner Bros., this is a very useful little collection. The index is in the front, and all the songs are arranged alphabetically. One caveat: although several songs in foreign languages are provided, translations are not. (So what does "Zum Gali Gali" mean, anyway? You'll have to seek the answer elsewhere.) --Sarah Bryan Miller

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 048629725X
• ISBN-13: 978-0486297255
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Sheet Music & Scores > Forms & Genres > Ballet & Dance

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lyrical Treasures, March 1, 2000

By 

Joseph L Burke - See all my reviews

This review is from: 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics (Dover Books on Music) (Paperback)

It is rare to be able to find the lyrics to songs of the past; particularly if you are looking for songs by Berlin, Gershwin, Von Tilzer, Cohan, and so many of the song-writing giants of a bygone era. Most of the songs in this collection are pop standards, spirituals, folk songs, ragtime, and what-you-will. They are here with both their verses and chorus's. What a joy! What a blast from the past! And the price is miniscule compared to the value. I would've paid the price of the book for the lyric to just one or two of the songs in this book. In most cases each song has its publishing date with the author(s) name alongside the title. I was surprised that so many of the songs I've loved were first published so long ago. Treat yourself to a volume you will treasure. Sit down at the old keyboard and sing out!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, I never realize how many songs I knew!, April 14, 2003

By 

Erich E. Geary (Texarkana, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics (Dover Books on Music) (Paperback)

500 Songs sounds like a lot. It is fun to go through the book and see how many songs you know. I don't know who decided these were the top 500, but they did a good job. It is a book of lyrics only. I wish it had included the sheet music, musical notation. Overall I feel I got my monies worth,. I drag it out every now and then and just sing out load, even if it bothers the cat.

28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I was looking for, November 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: 500 Best-Loved Song Lyrics (Dover Books on Music) (Paperback)

Do you ever find yourself singing an old familiar song and replacing most of the words with la-la-la? Do you just get started belting out an old favorite and you come to the end of the first verse too soon? Do you want to know the words to a song, but don't care about the music? This book is the answer. I can't say that it contains every song you will look for, but I can tell you that when I looked through it, it was like opening a long lost treasure. Many of the songs I had completely forgotten were there with all the verses. What a joy! I will sing all night!